Out From Inside
by World Apart
Summary: AU Edward/Bella. If you've ever seen the pilot of Roswell you'll get the premise for the first chapter. This is basically a "What if Renee never left Charlie?" fic, picking up when the Cullens move to Forks when Bella is seventeen.
1. Order Up

**AN: I originally posted this on LiveJournal but I decided to post over here for the enjoyment of those who do not have an account. I'm not much of a talker so if you look forward lengthy notes at the beginning, I'm sorry but you won't find them here. I'll probably just post the original chapter description directly from LJ since I've already posted 4 chapters over there. Don't feel obligated to review, just enjoy the story. If however you'd like to leave a review or correct me on something, all kindly worded comments are greatly appreciated.**

**Chapter 1 Summary: **Edward had anticipated that his first day at Forks high would be more of bother than usual given that he had the menial task of hunting down Isabella Swan (no pun intended) to find out what she knows. Needless to say the task proves to be more of a challenge than he could have every guessed.

* * *

"Isabella," the familiar voice was faint but didn't pull me from my thoughts. It must not have been very important anyway. "Earth to Isabella! Geez she's always zoning out like this! What a freak. _Isabella!_"

This time I came to my eyes automatically seeking out the source of the rather rude comments finding though it was unnecessary, as I already knew who it would be. I was met with the sneer of one Lauren Mallory who was glaring at me as she leaned against the countertop.

"Order up, don't want it to go cold now do we?" she tilted her head slightly toward the food that Mike Newton had set on the sill of the small kitchens window. I shuffled over to the window keeping my eyes down hoping I didn't show how irritated I really was by her attitude. I lifted my eyes again only when I was standing before the window. Mike met my gaze with a fleeting smile before turning his attention back to Lauren. Typical. I grabbed the tray and turned toward the dining area. As I paused Lauren she muttered "Freak" almost inaudibly before picking up some idle chatter about some recent school scandal with Mike.

This was my life. Everyday I woke up in the second story apartment over my mom's little diner and aided with the opening procedures before heading off to school, which was okay for the most part. I didn't feel like I really fit in anywhere specific but I wasn't exactly forced to eat lunch in a toilet stall in the girl's bathroom. People talked to me in class, I had a few friends who I would occasionally meet up with outside of school. Every afternoon after school I worked until closing at the diner and did all my homework before going to bed. The next day I started the process all over again.

I had good grades and my teachers were pretty indifferent toward me. I had a pretty good relationship with my parents and I never really went through the whole "rebellious teenager" thing, unless you counted dying my hair a lighter color without my parents permission then dying it back the next day because it looked terrible. All in all I was completely average. Mom, or Renee as everyone else knew her, preferred to call it normal. No matter how you dress it up though it wouldn't change what I was; utterly plain. Although she did have a point, I could never really be called abnormal unless abnormally normal wasn't considered to be an oxymoron.

I didn't feel plain, normal or average on the inside, though. I had always felt like the small town environment of Forks was just too simple for me, almost to the point of being suffocating. My dad, Charlie - or as the town folk knew him, Police Chief Swan - said I felt that way because I was a dreamer which in his book mean I spent too much of my "spare time" buried in a book, which was laughable since I didn't really have spare time. The difference was though that my dad thought being a dreamer meant I'd get away from the town I'd never left in my sixteen years, I didn't. Everyone knew that no matter how big of a dreamer someone was, they never got away from Forks for very long.

Once when I was a baby my mom took me and ran off to Phoenix for some reason. She was back by the end of the week begging my dad to take her back. To this day people would start the occasional rumor that she was taking off again. I knew she wouldn't, mainly because of the diner. My dad knew she was restless here after she had left and he wanted to give her something to make her feel like there was something to stick around for. So he bought out a little restaurant space and surprised my mom on their anniversary. She named it _Chez Beaujolais_ because it felt exotic even if the exotic menu had to be changed within the first month to something more familiar to the small town patrons.

She loved the diner but I wouldn't lie. My mom never had a head for the knitty gritty of running a business. Sure she could do the upper management stuff and essentially run the place from her office but she had no idea how to make it run efficiently. That all changed when I was old enough to help out. I had grown up watching the small problems that would sprout and I got my mom's trust by suggesting ideas to amend them. When I started waitressing to save up tips, my mom basically dumped the managerial duties into my lap. I made schedules and duty charts, I took complaints from both customer and employee alike, I unlocked the doors as I went to school and locked them before going to bed. I ran the place from opening to close in almost every sense of the word.

Unfortunately Renee still held the power to hire and fire and that is how people like Lauren end up working at the diner. It wasn't really a matter of me hating Lauren because she didn't like me. Rather it was the fact that she never stuck to routine and slacked on her duties consistently. She didn't consider me her boss and she knew how to put on a good face for my mom. She was more of a hindrance than a help as an employee. Mike was tolerable, though he had pursued me relentlessly for a few years but now that Jessica Stanley was showing interest in him his affections toward me were dwindling. Not that I minded though, I didn't really have the time for some drama filled high school relationship at the moment. Well there was that and the fact that I was still nursing the broken heart Jacob had left me with just a few short weeks ago.

There were a few other employees who worked during the day while we were at school. The only true saving grace in the place was Angela. She worked to the best of her ability and on the days when she worked she always stayed with me through closing, sometimes staying over to study with me. She never failed to give her all in whatever she was doing, which I found to be an admirable quality.

I looked across the dining room to where she stood with her order book at the ready trying to keep her calm as the two men at her table tried to rudely urge her to go away. I reached table 5, to which the orders on my tray belonged.

"One Chicken Club sandwich and one order of hotwings with extra ranch," I said placing the first order in front of the middle aged woman and the second in front of what I assumed was her husband before carefully placing a bright smile on my face. "Is there anything else I can get you folks?"

"No thank you I think we'll be okay," the woman said shooting a glare at her husband as he dove into his food and ignored her.

"Alright, just let me know if you need anything at all!" I headed toward the order window passing Angela on the way catching a bit of what she said.

"Sir, I apologize but if you don't order anything I'll have to ask you to –"

"Fine! Just bring us some coffee for now!" One of the men said. I took in his appearance, he was large wearing a flannel jacket and dirty jeans. He had thinning sandy blonde hair that he kept running his hands through. The other was wearing a stained gray t-shirt and a tangle of long dark hair that seemed to blend into his unkempt beard. I turned my attention to Angela who nodded mutely to the men and started toward the order window a few steps behind me.

"Need help with them Angie?" I muttered warily as we stepped behind the counter.

"No, no, it's alright, they're just arguing with each other." She shook her head and grasped a pot of coffee pouring it into two mugs. I noticed a slight tremor in her hand as she poured. It was hardly noticeable but I caught it, and it was rather unsettling that calm and collected Angela was upset enough to be physically shaking at all.

"I'm taking a break," Lauren informed me haughtily as she sauntered past me toward the front of the diner. Apparently the whole hour she'd been on the job was too much for her. Angela smirked and rolled her eyes grabbing the two mugs and stepping from behind the counter into the dining area again. I grabbed a rag and started wiping up a bit of spilled sugar from the counter top and aligning some of the containers that were stored on the shelves.

"Bella!" Mike called from the order window. I looked up and saw him leaning against the order window. I didn't respond verbally just raised my eyebrows to indicate I was listening as I pulled out a package of Styrofoam coffee cups and started stacking them in their proper dispenser. "I need Friday night off. I'm taking Jessica to the movies."

"Finally asked her out?" I said smirking a bit hoping I was faking enough interest, despite my obvious lack of it. I noted the way his smile broadened slightly. Apparently his affections toward me hadn't dwindled as much as I hoped as he obviously thought I was jealous. I forced what I hoped came across as a genuine smile, continuing before he could continue with that train of thought. "We'll I'm glad. You two make a great match. I have Friday night off so I guess I could cover the kitchen for you but you will owe me."

His face fell as he gave me a half-hearted smile and mumbled an almost inaudible thank you before turning into the kitchen again. I shoved back the chuckle building in my chest and finished stocking the cups. I heard the door open as Dean Martin's _That's Amore_ started played overhead and I winced at the typical cheesy music that usually played in the diner.

I froze in a complete daze as I spotted three figures entering the diner. There was a hulking male with dark curly hair and bulging muscles taking in the room with a look of amusement on his face. An impossibly small girl with cropped dark hair almost standing on end appraising the diner in it's entirety. Behind the two strikingly contrasting figures was a tall boy with the oddest shade of messy bronze hair. A look of irritation played across his face his gaze focused intently on the floor. All their eyes were the most stunning shade of almost golden brown. Then I realized why the boy looked so irritated as I saw Lauren stood a few feet away behind the front counter batting her eyelashes at a sickeningly rapid pace rattling off the standard welcome as she played with the ends of her hair idly, her eyes locked on the poor boy as if he were some kind of trophy. He started to speak to her so quietly I couldn't make out his words.

"Sir I'm going to have to ask you –" Angela's voice came from across the dining room shaking me from my stunned state. Her voice was a bit louder than her usual controlled tone, but that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the way her voice shook in fear. I stepped out from behind the counter and started toward the table. I don't care if Angela thought she could handle it, I wasn't going to let her be bullied by the customers like this.

"Dammit Jack if you don't follow through with this I won't have a choice!" A shout came from the wildly bearded man as he slammed his fist down onto the table rattling the coffee mugs sitting there. My attention shifted instantly to Angela who looked gripped with terror. I was starting to get angry and it seemed the diner had instantly become quiet to watch as I stormed across the length of the dining room.

Then a few things happened before I could connect their meaning. There were a few shrieks and clamoring sounds but my eyes were locked on Angela who's own eyes widened instantly and she stumbled backwards. There were words being mumbled from one of them men. I caught a cold gleam as something glimmered under the florescent lights of the diner before the wind was knocked from my chest as something hit me with incredible force. White hot light flashed behind my eyes as I was propelled backward and slammed into what felt like a wall or a shelf with a crash that didn't quite mask an explosion somewhere in front of me.

I felt a sharp slicing pain glanced across my arm tearing through my skin and leaving behind a searing pain. Glass rained down from the shelves above me nicking my skin in a few places along my body, but I barely felt it as my focus was on the burning on my arm. It felt like an eternity but in reality I hadn't even had the time to breathe in the time that had passed. My eyes snapped open as my breath came in suddenly shallow gasps.

A gun in the hand of the man with thinning hair and the man with the beard gripping his arms if he had been wrestling with him. Both were frozen for a fraction of a second and looked at me with wide eyes before turning to flee. I realized I was still being pinned with great force by something and look around to see the halo of dark hair belonging to the small girl who'd entered the building moments before. She pushed away from me and looked as if she weren't breathing herself as she stared at my arm. I looked down taking in the stream of blood flowing down my arm from a deep gash. Next to it in the shelf was a circular hole pressed deeply into the wall.

I took in a deep breath as everything sunk in. The bullet had missed my heart by less than a foot. The scent of my own blood hit me in a nauseating wave and I swayed slightly on my feet. This was just too much, thank God it was over. The commotion unexpectedly started again.

"Emmett!" The girl beside me shrieked before rushing at impossible pace across the room to the place she had been when I had first took notice of her. How on earth had she gotten across the room in a split second like that? Had she been closer to me than I thought? I didn't get to complete the thought as the bronze haired boy was being noisily slammed into a table sending debris in every direction. There was more shrieking and I watched as the boy shoved up from the ground amidst the remains of the destroyed table, not even phased and took a menacing step in my direction. I took in his eyes feeling a thrill of terror run through me as I took in the black depthless pits of his eyes, hadn't his eyes been a glorious shade of topaz before or had that been some trick of the light? A predatory look of rage was etched across his beautiful face as and I froze in shock, the hair on the back of my neck standing completely on edge.

He didn't get more than a few steps closer before the other male grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him backward toward the door, struggling the whole way as the boy flailed and thrashed wildly. The girl followed but paused at the door looking back at me. Her eyes met mine and they were full of what looked like pleading fear as she raised her finger to her lips in a gesture meaning silence. Silence about what? I had no idea what I had just witnessed. She bit her lip and rushed through the doors without another glance backward.

"Bella!" Mike came running through the kitchen door and leaping over the counter. I realized I hadn't been breathing much as I watched the scene that had just played out. The lack of oxygen made my head feel too light so I took a shaking breath in but realized too late that I was still bleeding. The rusted salty smell of my own blood hit me again this time like an overpowering wave and I couldn't fight the way the world tilted around me. I was reeling and most assuredly going to hit the floor but someone caught me and lowered me carefully to the floor. "Bella! Are you okay? Did you get hit? Bella please! Say something, anything!"

"I-I wasn't…" was all I could manage. I looked up at Mike's frantic face as he looked me over unsure of where I could have been hit. I let my eyes skim the room barely taking in anything around me. Luckily the diner hadn't been to full at this time in the afternoon and the few patrons who had been unfortunate enough to be here, seemed to be huddled in fear under their tables. That incident was definitely not good for business.


	2. Bad News

**AN: Thanks to those who submitted reviews! It's very encouraging to know you are enjoying this so far. I hope I can continue to improve and better the story for your enjoyment. This is a bit shorter than most chapters I have so far. It's Edward's point of view. Enjoy :)**

* * *

"What the hell were you all thinking? Going into a restaurant, there's no point!" Rosalie ranted waving her arms in sweeping angry gestures in the living room of our new home. Alice had barely finished recounting our little diner experience before Rosalie flew into a fit of rage. _We haven't even been here for a two days and we'll have to move again. I'm so sick of this I want to settle in one place without looking over my shoulder._

"We were _thinking_ that we were lost." I said trying to keep an angry edge from my voice. I could tell from the murmur of my family's thoughts that tensions were already tight and a family brawl was the last thing we needed at the moment. "This town has changed a lot in the last few decades, you know. It's not like we can just show up after all this time and miraculously know how to get to the local hardware store. Besides it wasn't like we walked into the diner wanting to cause trouble."

"So explain to me again why it was necessary for Alice to expose us to save some human girl's life?" Rosalie, who was leaning against the doorway that lead to our useless kitchen, clasped her hands together awaiting of some sort of clarification of the afternoon's events. I felt my body tense in response as the crisp memory flitted across my mind. I had been standing next to Alice the second that man decided to draw his gun and I saw the flash of her vision through her thoughts. The girl getting shot right through the heart and falling into the very shelves Alice had pushed her into. I had seen myself lunging at the girl without warning and exposing us for what we really were.

Alice made her decision within a fraction of a second of the gunfire and threw herself to save the girl's life and keep our secrecy in tact, although moving at her usual speed rather than a human one was rather risky. The reason for the unexpected attack in the vision became horrifyingly clear when the bullet grazed the girl's arm and tore her flesh open. Her blood was ambrosia, that much I could tell from across the room. I shudder to think of how heavenly that scent would have been if it embraced me as I drank her dry. I stood no chance against the monster that raged within me, demanding that I quench the ceaseless fires that burned in my throat. It came to surface so quickly I was completely subjected to my senses, ready to kill anyone or anything that came between me and the sweet elixir flowing down her arm.

I almost didn't register my own low warning growl – inaudible to human ears – or the quick vision of Alice's that mirrored the previous vision's attack. The monster cheered seeing it's own inevitable victory, until Alice shrieked something unintelligible. Less than a second later I felt myself slamming into something far less durable then myself. Rage swelled within me furthering the grip her blood had on my senses, yet I couldn't even think about annihilating whatever force had attempted to stop me. The blow hadn't even phased me and with every passing second another few drops of the girl blood spilled down her arm going cold. Such a waste. Before I could get more than a few steps in her direction something was dragging me in the opposite direction of her blood. I fought against the forced retreat with everything bit of strength I could until I was in the fresh air just outside the door trailing Emmett with Alice close by.

Every second since then had been filled with utter remorse and self-loathing.

"I had to step in or Edward would have killed her when the second her blood was spilled." Alice explained again her tone still held strong against Rosalie's inquisition.

"It sounds like instead of Edward killing her the two of you caused quite the scene, first you saving her needlessly then Edward still trying to attack her. If it weren't for Emmett your little life saving tactic would have been useless." Rosalie snapped. Her thoughts were racing between fearful and contemptuous at a maddening pace. "Besides, didn't it occur to you to just drag Edward away from their the second you had the vision instead of risking exposure by saving her life?"

_I didn't mean any harm by it. I thought it was what was best for everyone would it have been better for me to just let her die?_ Alice's sheepish thoughts broadcast clearly across my mind as she chewed lightly on her lip. I felt resentment toward Rosalie rising quickly but I forced myself to keep calm. How dare she make Alice question her motives? Whether or not she did the smartest thing possible or not she had saved an innocent girl's life today, an act far more noble then my own actions. I stood from the couch I was lounged on with Esme and Jasper, who was trying desperately to neutralized the waves of anger and fear throughout the room.

"Alice, you did a good thing, don't doubt that for a second." I said softly to her and she gave me a small smile that didn't quite reach her usually lively eyes. I was pacing a large path across the living room lost in thought for a moment as I replayed the moments leading up to the event in my mind before I paused in my track and spoke again. "The girl was really the only one in the room in a position to notice anything out of place, everyone else was focused on the gun. I doubt she saw Alice because she was focusing her attention elsewhere, or else she would have moved from the path of the gun or Alice."

"If she did see something I don't think she'll say anything." Alice spoke up eyeing me anxiously. She was trying to dig up a vision about the girl but surprisingly instead she was finding nothing. The silence of that normally active part of her mind was unnerving to not only her but me as well. Any vision no matter how bad was at least useful as an advanced warning.

"You _think_" Rosalie stressed. She turned her attention back to me. I would have known the next part of her thought even if I couldn't read it before she spoke it. "What was she thinking when you left Edward?"

I froze, even though I had been expecting the question I still had no idea how to answer. The reality that I didn't know what the girl was thinking as we fled caught me off guard. I tried to push my way through the haze of chaos that the monster had brought to my mind during the day's earlier events. Many thoughts were screaming at the time but as I sifted through what I could recall, but I didn't know any of the voices so I couldn't have picked a specific person out no matter how hard I tried. None of the thoughts really stuck out as something that might pertain to the mind of teenage girl, let alone one who'd nearly been killed. Was she in shock at the moment? Who was I kidding, she could have gone unconscious and I wouldn't have even noticed through the chaos of my own sick bloodlust.

"I don't know" I frowned finally answering Rosalie's question the only way I could; honestly. She barked out a short laugh laced with a tinge of hysteria.

"This is just great. Our psychic and our mind reader both decide to take mental vacations while this child could be off telling anyone who'll listen about the freaky little girl with superpowers and the deranged psychopaths who accompany her around town! What good are your incredibly invasive powers if they can't detect a blatant threat?" Emmett strode across the room in a flash from the armchair he'd been sitting in and wrapped his arms around her trying to soothe her anger.

"I'd hate to agree with her Edward, but if Alice isn't getting anything, you're our only chance to know what she's intending to do or if she saw anything at all. You need to go back there and try and get a clue as to what she's thinking." Jasper spoke this time. I turned to him staring in outright shock.

"Absolutely not! If I get near her I'll kill her!" I snapped at him unintentionally. It was uncalled for but I couldn't help it. Jasper of all people should know just what I felt on that matter. The idea of going anywhere near her made the monster within me rejoice and that was a bad sign. I hated being helpless in the matter of my bloodlust and that girl brought out the devil within me. How preposterous that a little girl - no more than a child really - could make me so weak without intending to. The scent of her blood alone shattered my self-restraint into oblivion.

"Good! Kill her! Problem solved." Rosalie shouted.

"Hardly! That'd be a much bigger problem. Killing the girl in public would do little to diminish the attention we probably gained earlier." I noted the way my voice rose as I spoke, Rosalie always had a way of irritating me to such a point.

"Edward you need to try. You need to try your hardest, if you don't we could all be done for." Alice said softly. I felt the slowly rising irritation with Rosalie evaporate at the determination that masked Alice's face. All the determination in the world couldn't hide from me the fearful thoughts that flitted across her mind. My own resolve to never be weakened by the girl again was the next to disappear. I wouldn't let my selfish pride endanger Alice, or anyone else in my family for that matter.

"I know." The words came from me as softly as they had from Alice. The tone of the thoughts shifted to darker thoughts of hunting and how to amend the situation should I fail; everyone but Carlisle and Alice was almost certain I would do just that. My steps felt heavy as I fled from the room. On the black leather sofa against the wall I dropped my head into my hands wishing once again I could block out the discouraging words in the minds of my family. It would be hard enough knowing that even I lacked the confidence in myself. My devil wasn't one that was easily conquered.


	3. Quiet Calm

**AN: For those reading this I offer a warning and a reiteration. First the reiteration: This story IS Edward/Bella. The Warning: There is a thread of this story weaved in that past tense Jacob/Bella, as in they WERE kind of together. This chapter is where you get the first sense of what happened to break them up. Other than that this point is Bella's point of view. I'm going to try and shift every chapter between Edward and Bella's perspective but from time to time I may have to stick with one of the views for two straight chapters. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

After my dad was thoroughly convinced that I hadn't been riddled with bullet holes he laughed in relief and started to refer the near fatal dance with death as my "rather eventful day"

After my dad was thoroughly convinced that I hadn't been riddled with bullets he laughed in relief and started to refer the near fatal dance with death as my "rather eventful day". Rather eventful was the understatement of the century; the incident at the diner could have officially been dubbed the most action packed day in Forks history. That fact alone spoke volumes about how bizarre of a day it had been for me.

After being questioned by Mike, half of the Forks Police Department and my parents – in that exact order – I was finally settling into my room exhaustion gripping every inch of me, but still unable to find sleep. An explosion of excitement in what should be called the dullest town in the nation – possibly even the world – was more than I was ready to accommodate on such sort notice; especially when it centered around me. Somehow though, in spite of my fatigued and wounded body as well as large doses of pain killers, sleep wouldn't come. The wound on my arm, which had taken five stitches to close, was tightly wrapped and would remain so for at least a week.

It wasn't just the excitement of the day that kept me awake darkness of my room that night. It was fear, outright paranoia, that sent my stomach churning in a wave of foreboding that refused to let me sleep. I felt like something very menacing was lingering just beyond my grasp, leaving me to stumble blindly in frustration trying to comprehend it's meaning.

I had escaped certain death because of some incredibly intriguing girl who literally appeared out of nowhere. The memory of it had seemed vivid as I continued to replay them. The fleeting image of the girl across the room as I turned to Angela didn't mesh with the image of the girl pinning me to a wall only a second later having shoved me out of the path of a piece of metal destined for my heart. The images were two puzzle pieces that fit together but didn't even belong to the same picture. My brain was going into overload trying to make sense of it.

Then tossing into what happened right after my life had saved, my mind was plunged into total fear and confusion. The look in the eyes of that boy reflected the death that I had escaped just moments before. He looked like he was enraged by the very presence of me, almost as if he were willing me dead where I stood. Even though he took just a few steps, they were definitely menacing, as if he were walking over to finish the job the bullet had attempted.

As silly as it sounded I was starting to think that someone was out to kill me. I knew it wouldn't make sense, who could I have possibly enraged to the point of paying someone to off me? That theory was utterly ridiculous, but maybe it something rather than someone. Was death coming for me? Had my number been pulled? I shivered under my thick comforter at the thought. At that moment it somehow seemed more of a reality than any other explanation I had. The murderous black depths of the boy's eyes filled my mind and I was sure I had not only dodged death once with that bullet but twice. Twice in one day. How many more times could luck save me from the ultimate end?

The phone ringing beside my bed caused the terrifying eyes to vanish and I picked up the receiver anticipating a string of questions from a classmate. I didn't even get out a greeting before a familiar voice spoke in a panic.

"Bells!" Jacob gasped in my ear and I resisted the urge to slam down the phone back onto it's base. I narrowed my eyes and took in a deep breath, I would be civil and not let him know just how much he was affecting me just by speaking. "Bells you're okay! I was so worried when Billy told me."

"Yes, Jake, I'm fine, no cause for alarm." I mumbled. I didn't know what was worse at the moment, the intense pain at hearing his voice or the satisfaction of knowing he still cared enough to worry about me.

"I wouldn't call five stitches 'fine'," the rumbling sound of his deep laugh filled my ears and I smiled in spite of myself, glad that he couldn't see me at this moment. "What happened, Bells?"

"Some guy shot a gun, I got out of the way for the most part, end of story. And stop calling me Bells. It's Isabella."

"Bella, don't be like this please," He pleaded knowing instantly where this was going. His tone stayed light, probably hoping to keep me on the line. "You and I both know that you hate being called Isabella."

"Yes but Bells and Bella are what my friends call me," I sniffed hating the fact that he would always know me just as well as – if not better then – I knew myself.

"We were best friends practically from the womb, Bells. Since when have we _not_ been friends?" his tone was defiant rather than confused, he knew exactly when we stopped being friends.

"Is it not enough for you to hurt me by calling? Do you really want to torture me by making me spell it out when we both know what happened?" I was struggling to keep from yelling and drawing my parents attention. Angry tears burned my eyes so I closed them to keep them from spilling. He'd stolen enough of my tears, I refused to give him anymore.

"Bella, I didn't mean to hurt you. It just happened. You don't understand –"

"Understand what? That we were in love with each other? That you became a completely different person overnight? That you stopped calling me and dumped me out of the blue? That you stopped loving me the second you realized you could have someone better?" I cut him off tears falling freely down my face as I spoke. He'd made me say it, he'd made me cry yet again and I still couldn't bring myself to outright hate him.

"Oh God, Bella!" he cried sounding exasperated. "That's not how it happened! You weren't…Bella, I told you-"

"Don't worry, Jacob I understand just fine." I had heard his lame, stuttering excuses before and I couldn't bear to hear him lie to me again. "I listened to you. I'm trying to move on with my life and stay out of yours. _You_ calling _me_ doesn't make that easier in the least."

"Bella I never wanted you out of my life." His rumbling voice was soft and rang with sincerity.

"I can't be a part of it anymore, Jake. I don't know who she is and I never want to. It has to be like this." I could feel the emptiness in my chest tearing as I said it. I wouldn't see him anymore even though he was my best friend and I still loved him more than I would ever tell him. The silence that followed was so thick it was almost tangible and it just added to the wall that was being built between us. "Jake?"

"Yeah?" He sounded distant. I didn't dare to let myself acknowledge just how crushed he sounded.

"Does she make you happy?" My tone even sounded dead to me. He exhaled sharply.

"Yes, very happy." He said honestly. The tears that fell this time were genuine tears of anguish rather than anger.

"Okay." I sighed trying to keep from sniffling so he wouldn't know I was crying, but instead I sounded squeaky and watery, which was worse than sniffling. I gave up and a heavy sob racked my chest. "Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Bells." My own distress was reflected in his words before the distinct click on his end. I somehow managed to hang up the phone through the sobs that seemed to be splitting me in two.

I wished I could have fooled myself into believing that it wasn't the last time I would hear him call me Bells. Instead I settled for savoring the way he said it while I could still remember.

They say time heals all wounds, and I guess that may have been true about most things. I wondered if that was true even if the wound still felt fatal after a long torturous month. The pain of a bullet to the heart would have been slightly less painful than the knowledge that I'd never again be the person who knew Jacob Black better than anyone else on the planet.

* * *

**AN: Just to clarify; YES JACOB HAS IMPRINTED ON SOMEONE WHO IS NOT BELLA.**


	4. Mind Numbing

**AN: Just a quick thank you to those who have taken the time to review, it's greatly appreciated! I love seeing new comments, it's very encouraging to know that you like reading what I've put out there. Now onto the long anticipated Edward/Bella chat scene.**

* * *

Forks High School was…quaint

Forks High School was…tedious. I had gone a whole day without a run in with the girl who had nearly brought my decades of self-discipline and secrecy to it's knees. Though I had caught a few thoughts mentioning the girl who'd nearly been shot, I didn't gather much about her other than her name was Isabella or Bella, something along those lines. All that concerned me was finding out if she was going to tell anyone what she'd seen or if she'd seen anything at all. While I was desperately hoping I wouldn't have to see her around the school and resist her blood on a daily basis, I was rather hoping to have this problem solved in a quick fashion at the school then having to hunt her down outside of school to dissect her juvenile thoughts for possible threats.

I was currently standing at the front of my sixth period English classroom waiting for the rest of the class to filter into the room and take their seats so the teacher could place me at an empty desk. I wasn't oblivious to the stares and thoughts that were directed my way, but I pretended to be. These next two years of high school were going to be monotonous at best. I did my best to block the barrage of thoughts and stared at the wall across from me.

I was vaguely aware of the bell ringing before a wall of that heavenly scent slammed into me. I didn't need to look up to be aware that she had entered the room but I did in spite of myself. She shuffled into the room with a small group of stragglers her eyes downcast. I steeled myself against her scent and looked away, there would be time to find her thoughts later, for the moment I needed to focus all my energy on keeping in control as her scent propelled my inner demon into a frenzy.

"Class, as you may have noticed we have a group of new students starting at the school today and a few of you may have already met them in other classes." The teacher, Mrs. Dunn announced clasping her hands. I caught a few of her thoughts as she spoke, all of them pointing to the fact that the class was usually a rowdy one and she was rather proud of herself for not having to call them to attention for once. "We are fortunate enough to have one of them joining us our class and I hope you will all make him feel welcome. Edward," she gestured to me "why don't you take your seat next to Isabella in the back row. Isabella please raise your hand!"

I narrowed my eyes at the teacher, before turning them toward Isabella. She was raising her hand with a look of sheer terror playing across her face. I stood and strode down the aisle and watched her eyes flicker up to mine before dropping to the floor once again. With every step I was assaulted further by her scent, the closer I drew the more aware I was of her fluttering heartbeat and the blood it sent racing through her veins. Dropping into the seat desk next to hers I forced myself as far away from her as the seat would permit without drawing attention to myself.

"We are going to start on the story of Hamlet today and we _will_ be reading aloud, which means I will need volunteers. If I don't get volunteers I will be choosing people to read. Now if you will turn to page 167 of your text we will begin." The teacher instructed walking across the front of the room to a cabinet and rifling through in search of a book for me. _Dammit, not a single Junior level book! If the funding gets cut again I swear I'll quit, I guess he'll have to share with someone until I can locate another one._ "Edward, dear, I'm sorry but it looks like we I'm short on copies of the text. I'm sure Isabella wouldn't mind sharing with you until we can get you your own."

I glanced at the girl and it was obvious that sharing her book with me was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. Her eyes dart to me once more only to be caught my own for a half second before turning hastily away with the timely arrival of a deep blush that crept up her neck and onto her cheeks, her heart racing, presumably in terror. Her terror was more justified then she could have ever known as the monster clawed at my insides begging to relieve her cheeks of the blood that made the lush color settle in. Getting closer to this girl was probably the least intelligent idea but at the moment I had no other choice. I stood a bit and slid my desk toward hers and she shoved her book over so I could make out the print on the page. She shifted uncomfortably next to me as the teacher began to read, and my mind was anything but focused.

Unfocused was bad though, I had to do something or I would start plotting ways to take this girl's life. After a few moments of absently listening as a student tripped over the reading assignment I remembered the task involving the girl that had been pushed aside to focus on resisting her blood. I still needed to know what she knew. After seeing the look of terror on her face there was no doubt in my mind that she knew something wasn't right about me, but that wasn't enough to appease my family, they wanted to know if she'd tell. Even though I hadn't heard the girl's thoughts before I was fairly certain it wouldn't be hard to pick them out given that she was probably radiating terrified thoughts and the fact that she was sitting right beside me. I opened the flood gates and started sifting through the maelstrom of adolescent thoughts.

In the obviously occupied spot next to me there should have been thought. I had expecting thoughts that would pertain to a teenage girl who had nearly been gunned down in a restaurant the day before. I had been prepared to deal with thoughts of her observing my families abnormality during said incident at a restaurant. What I found instead was more disturbing than the adolescent mind or thoughts of exposing my family. Instead I found silence. There may as well have been a vacant seat beside me as far as thoughts were concerned.

Was she in shock from my appearance? Was she mentally disabled? In my surprise I cast another glance at her, taking in her appearance in an appraising fashion. She looked like a normal teenage girl, how different could her mind possibly be?

She wasn't looking at me but she must have felt my gaze on her. The instant that I looked at her she shook out her mahogany hair and ducked her head slight trying to squirm her way out of my gaze without looking at me directly. The moment she shifted her hair I was overcome by the oppressive scent of her all over again and all thoughts of her silent mind vanished as I swallowed the venom pooling in my mouth. Yet again I found my self battling the monster thrashing within me as the venom scorched my already parched throat.

I turned my eyes away from her in an attempt to get her to stop fidgeting and enticing my inner beast, and after a few more moments it worked. I eventually got myself under enough control to turn my focus back on my appraisal of the paradox beside me, a little more subtly than before. Long dark hair fell down her back in a soft ripple as she bent slightly forward, her arms folded around her stomach. I took in what I could see of her face rather quickly; her dark eyes were an unusually deep brown, pale skin that had the slightest of pink tinges to it, and reddened lips that were moving slightly giving off no sound as she stared expressionlessly into the empty space before her. It took me a moment to realize she was reciting the text verbatim without looking to the book for reference and giving off no more sound than a slight puff of air.

I was perplexed. She was reciting Hamlet word for word and making it look effortless, almost automatic as if her mind were focused on something else completely. She was obviously a thinking sentient being so why couldn't I hear her thoughts. I pushed myself once more determined to see what was really on her mind, but was only met with the roar of thoughts from the surrounding class but a humming silence beside me. Impossible.

It was my turn to shift uncomfortably this time. I watched her a few more moments from the corner of my eye. How on earth did this girl manage to walk around as a living example of just how weak I truly am despite my invincibility, yet be completely oblivious to how she was affecting me? Even though I was sure that her thoughts consisted of essentially the same things every teenage girl's mind did, I was burning to know just what she was thinking. I needed to know since the very safety of my family was at risk but also because in all my eternal life I had built my mannerisms around reacting to people's thoughts. Though I had called mind reading a curse most often it truly was a gift in several different ways, I never realized before this moment just how much I had relied on that single trait of mine. I was so lost in these thoughts that I was hardly aware of her catching me staring at her.

"Sorry," Isabella mumbled snapping me from my confused daze. She shoved the book toward me and crossed her arms across her chest. She had somehow come to the conclusion that I thought she was hoarding the book. The burn to understand her reasoning surged beneath the sweltering flames in my throat for her blood.

"It's alright," I mumbled back. I watched as she slipped back into her thoughts her lips silently forming the lines that the student who was currently reading stammered through. In a moment of weakness my curiosity got the better of me. "I take it you've read this before." Her eyes widened a bit and turned to mine for a second before she slumped forward onto her desk propping her face in her hands.

"Once or twice in my spare time." She replied softly shrugging her shoulders infinitesimally.

"In your spare time? And what, pray tell, do you do with the rest of your time?" I couldn't help the amusement that accompanied the questions. Even though these weren't the questions I should have been asking was curious nonetheless. Anything she told me was helping the ease the more than unsettling silence that she emitted. I could see that she trying very hard to focus on something to keep from looking at me and it only further piqued my curiosity.

"I split it between school and work." Was the simple reply.

"Work?" I questioned before I could stop myself, knowing we both knew what that path would lead down. I decided almost instantaneously not to back down from the line of questioning since I'd need to discern something of her thoughts to tell my family later. She turned her eyes too me finally, giving me a look that I couldn't quite decipher, thus it drove me further toward insanity.

"Yeah I work at my mom's diner," her voice was soft and slow, almost as if soothing a confused child.

"Oh really, which would that be?" I asked innocently. I knew it was stupid to keep going along with this if she did know but I was desperately holding onto the hope that she didn't remember me specifically. From the way her eyes narrowed I was sure that she knew and my hope was gone in an instant.

"What are you playing at?" she asked her voice low. I blinked taken aback by how direct she had been in pointing me out. I at least expected to get out a few more questions before she knew I was full of it, yet here she was calling me out. Surprising to say the least.

"I'm not _playing_ at anything, I simply asked you a question," I gritted out banishing the depth of my irritation from my voice. She huffed out a small breath that sent her mouthwatering fragrance slamming into me again and I fought back the monster again, swallowing painfully as I tried to keep from breathing her in deeply. Her eyes turned to the front of the classroom, her face plunging into a frustratingly unreadable look as she contemplated her next move.

I felt as if I were dangling on the end of a string eagerly awaiting her answer. As much as I was hoping she would drop the matter, I could already sense that she was far too perceptive and curious than the average teenage girl. Quite frankly that aspect of her only pulled me in further, even though it would be harder on both her and my family if she knew too much, I was almost enamored with the peculiar enigma that was her unique mind. It was a contradiction of emotions that left me feeling quite confused but I pushed aside the perplexing thoughts in favor of trying to arrange a vast array of responses to the accusations I was sure she would deliver. Instead she surprised me once more.

"_Chez Beaujolais_, it's a little diner on the main street." She bit her lip looking down to her hands. Simply put I was astonished by her reaction; here I had been anticipating a situation where I would have to improvise using every tactic I had that didn't revolve around mind reading and she just gives up. Shockingly enough, I was more confused on the fact that I was almost as disappointed at the loss of the challenge she posed as I was grateful that she was dropping the matter. I watched her face in utter bewilderment for a moment before gathering my thoughts enough to nod vaguely. She smirked a bit before her eyes flashed a quick look at me, it was possibly the most unsettling gaze I'd ever encountered in my entire life. She couldn't possibly know just how much she was toying with my emotions, could she? Impossible.

"Strange I figured you would have remembered seeing me there yesterday," she whispered slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly once more, I could only assume it was to gauge my reaction. "My co-worker Lauren and I certainly remembered seeing you there." She finished, her tone heavy with implications.

Just like there I knew she had me trapped. In all my immortal life, no human – and very few non-humans for that matter – had ever been capable of trumping me in anything involving thought. Yet here I sat, in a concrete checkmate, because of a child with a silent mind. It was more than embarrassing it was emasculating. I could be sure now that she had seen me. I should have known that the mindless girl at the front counter that day, who had less than noble thoughts on her mind, would have been spouting off about myself and my siblings to anyone who would listen. Stepping into that diner was the biggest mistake I had ever made in my miserable existence.

"What do you want?" This time it was my turn to narrow my eyes at her, I let a cold edge overtake my tone, at this point it polite mannerisms would only hinder a threatening appearance to her. A smug look crossed her face.

"Answers," she replied simply.

"Depends on the question," I breathed looking away from her inquisitive gaze. It was more likely than not that I would have to give a false reply and I wasn't sure that I wouldn't falter if I had to lie while looking into her penetrating eyes. If I didn't know better I would have guessed that, out of the two of us, she was the mind reader. She took a deep breath and her heart rate increased; for what reason, I was sure I'd never know.

The fluttering cadence of her heart pulsing blood through her veins was an intoxicating melody and I couldn't help but breath in once more. Even though it was immensely wrong, I was savoring her delightful aroma. Before I could let the bloodlust infect my mind with thoughts of killing the girl and ridding my family of one problem and taking on a whole new level complication, I snapped myself back to the situation at hand. My breath held in my chest as I awaited her question. I carefully kept my eyes trained on the desktop, positive that my eyes were the deepest of blacks that would betray the demonic fiend I really was inside.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she whispered. I was grateful that for once I didn't need my ability to read the self-doubt and embarrassment that laced her words. Instead of being caught off guard by the question I felt myself applauding her for just how observant she had been during the chaotic event the day before. Unfortunately for us both, that kind of perceptiveness was the last thing I could have asked for her to have been.

"No, I'm not." I answered and it was almost the truth. At that particular moment I wasn't trying to kill her and it's not like _I_ wanted to kill her. I just couldn't say the same thing for the day before because if Emmett hadn't stopped me I would have slaughtered her in her mother's diner amidst a crowd of people. As much as it pained me to admit it, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't snap and kill her later either. Now for instance when she was in such close proximity to me that if she spilled a drop of blood I'd kill her in a heartbeat, of that I could be sure. She nodded slightly and looked to the book sitting between us.

"Are you going to tell anyone what you saw?" the question was out before I could think it over. I wished I had asked just what she did see before essentially confirming that I had something to hide. She laughed shortly under her breath her eyes looking to me for a moment then turning to the front of the classroom once more.

"Isabella! Would you read Ophelia's next part for us please?" Mrs. Dunn's voice cut in. The only reason it caught my attention was because she spoke Bella's name.

"_O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!_

_The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword,_

_The expectancy and rose of the fair state,_

_The glass of fashion and the mould of form,_

_The observed of all observers, quiet, quiet down!_

_And I of the ladies, most deject and wretched,_

_That suck'd the honey of his music vows,_

_Now see that noble and most sovereign reason_

_Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh,_

_The unmatch'd feature of form and blown youth_

_Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me,_

_To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!_"

She recited from memory, her mind was clearly elsewhere, but she hid it well behind the words. When she finished Mrs. Dunn clasped her hands and thanked her before calling on another student. She turned her attention to my awaiting gaze her features alight with consideration for a second before they fell into a dark look of defeat.

"No. Who'd believe me anyway?" she muttered bitterly. With those words I her safety was assured – for the moment anyway.


End file.
